Legal and Compliance Executive Search Blog

A huge new crop of students will be entering their first year of law school at schools across Texas in a couple of weeks. While job opportunities and career paths accessible to Texas lawyers are boundless, learning as much as you can early on about the diverse career paths will make a significant difference in your future. You need to dedicate the time, attention and commitment it deserves to educate yourself about the different areas of the law so that you may equip yourself with the knowledge necessary to make an informed choice as to your area of pursuit. Take advantage of mentoring programs offered at your law school, talk to your professors, especially the adjuncts, who have practical experience in the “real world,” and talk to as many recent law graduates and practicing attorneys as you can to learn about the career paths they have chosen, and why.

As a legal recruiter, it goes without saying that my days are spent reaching out to candidates for potential placements at law firms and being met with a fair share of reluctance from those candidates when it comes to chatting about the opportunity being offered. However, I’ve found that the more junior the attorney or associate, the more hesitant they are to engage in conversation. And, I get it. Junior associates, especially those at large firms, have gotten where they are by keeping their heads down throughout their brief careers transitioning from academia to now practicing at a firm—and, hopefully in a field—for which they worked so hard to land. In law school, they got good grades, graduated in the top 5, 10, 15%, etc., made law review, Order of the Coif, and various honors, etc. As new associates they follow instructions, meet their billable hours, and dare not think that the firm they’ve landed at might not be the right fit long-term. Further, why would an associate want to move after only a year or two, or maybe three or four, only to land at another firm that, in their mind, is likely very similar to their current firm in most respects. Lest their resume start to project the impression that they’re a “job hopper”.

As Legal Recruiters helping attorneys through the hiring process, we are constantly coaching applicants on how they can best present themselves to potential employers during the interview process. The following article by CEO Dave Kerpen thus caught our eye. He talked with almost a dozen young entrepreneurs who are members of YEC, an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. Dave asked these CEOs and entrepreneurs what single most impressive interview questions applicants have asked (or that they wish applicants would ask). Here is the link to Dave’s article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/1-most-impressive-job-interview-question-ask-dave-kerpen In addition to encouraging lawyers to focus not on impressive questions but on important questions, we would like to offer the following advice for anyone interviewing in the legal profession. We agree with some, but not all of these questions, or we would modify them. For example, we do not think it’s a good idea to put the interviewer on the spot and ask directly “How can I make myself more like the ideal candidate?” Instead, simply ask “Can you please describe your ideal candidate for this position?” Then be sure and mention ways you are like that ideal candidate during the interview process.

We have been retained on an exclusive basis by a publicly-held company to recruit a new general counsel for one of its major subsidiaries, which is headquartered in the Galleria area of Dallas.

This is a great opportunity for a lawyer who is currently in a mid-level, in-house role to gain experience working with management and to take a leadership position within the company.

The position will be the sole in-house attorney supporting the U.S. subsidiary and will report to the General Counsel of the parent company, which is out-of-state. Suitable candidates will be true generalists, with experience:

We have two new openings in Houston for experienced lawyers. Please email us at info@momentumlegal.com, referencing the position number indicated, if you're interested in hearing more about either of these positions.

IN-HOUSE DIVISION COUNSEL FOR MANUFACTURING/DRILLING SERVICES COMPANY

Momentum has been engaged on an exclusive basis to help a publicly-held company hire an attorney to be the primary legal support for one of its major divisions. This attorney will handle transactions, draft and negotiate a wide variety of contracts, manage litigation, and help management assess and minimize risk on a daily basis.

Interested in tax law, family law, or litigation? There are jobs waiting for you in Dallas and Austin.

The 4th quarter is typically the slowest time of year for attorney and other new legal hires, but Momentum has seen demand for attorneys in Austin and Dallas continue to be steady (Not so much the case in Houston, where low oil prices continue to suppress new hiring for law jobs there).

Do you know any lawyers who are interested in an in-house opening in Dallas or a law firm positions in Austin?

If so, please forward them the following, or inquire at info@momentumlegal.com, referencing the position number, for more information:

INHOUSE POSITION IN DALLAS

We have been engaged on an exclusive basis by an entrepreneurial company that offers consulting services in income and estate tax planning, asset protection, and business succession planning to closely-held businesses and their owners. They are looking to add a tax consultant to their team, which will require a JD and at least 5 years of federal tax experience. The position will allow for independence, flexibility and high visibility within the market. Please reference position 700414.